Recipes

Appetizers and Snacks Breakfast Desserts Dinner Fish & Seafood Instant Pot Kids Favourite Low Carb Muffins & Bread Noodles and Rice Pizza & Pasta Salads Sides Soups and Stews Vegetarian & Vegan

Cuisines

African Caribbean Old Europe United Kingdom French Greek Indian Italian Asian Mexican Thai American

About

Blog

Appetizers and Snacks

Breakfast

Desserts

Dinner

Fish & Seafood

Instant Pot

Kids Favourite

Low Carb

Muffins & Bread

Noodles and Rice

Pizza & Pasta

Salads

Sides

Soups and Stews

Vegetarian & Vegan

African

Caribbean

Old Europe

United Kingdom

French

Greek

Indian

Italian

Asian

Mexican

Thai

American

About

Blog

Gluten-Free Glazed Shortbread Maple Cookies

4 Reviews

Published Oct 4, 2020 ∙ Kristina Stosek

This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

Jump to Recipe

These Gluten-Free Maple Shortbread Cookies are buttery, tender, and finished with a rich brown butter maple glaze that makes them extra special. The dough is easy to work with, so you can cut the cookies into pumpkin shapes for Halloween and Thanksgiving or use your favorite cookie cutters year-round. They’re a fun fall baking project, and decorating them with family makes them even more enjoyable

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Buttery shortbread texture: Tender cookies with a delicate crumb and a lovely maple flavor.
Rich maple glaze: Browned butter adds a nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with pure maple syrup.
Simple ingredients: You don’t need a long list of ingredients to make these seasonal cookies.
Fun to decorate: Pumpkin shapes and a simple glaze make these cookies a lovely addition to fall gatherings.

If you are looking for cookies to decorate check out my Gluten-Free Honey Cinnamon Cut-Out Cookies recipe. Or, try another one of my festive cookie recipes the Gluten Free Linzer Cookie.

shortbread maple cookies

Key Ingredients and Swaps

Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend: Use a blend that contains xanthan gum, or add 1/2 teaspoon if your blend doesn’t include it. The flour measurement is approximately 160 g; weighing is best for consistency.
Unsalted butter: Gives the shortbread its buttery texture and is also the base of the brown butter glaze.
Coconut sugar or brown sugar: Either works in the cookie dough. Brown sugar will give the cookies a slightly deeper color and flavor.
Pure maple syrup: Sweetens the dough and adds maple flavor to both the cookies and glaze.

Pure maple extract (optional): Adds a more pronounced maple flavor to the glaze.

Gluten-free reminder: Check that your flour blend, baking soda, maple extract, and other packaged ingredients are labeled gluten-free when needed.

Shop my favorite gluten-free products and baking essentials in my Amazon Store.

gluten-free shortbread maple cookies

Tips for the Best Shortbread Cookies

Chill the dough before rolling.

This makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies hold their shapes.

Freeze the cut cookies before baking.

This is particularly helpful when using pumpkin cookie cutters with detailed edges.

Watch the butter carefully.

Brown butter can go from golden to burnt quickly. Remove it from the heat as soon as it smells nutty and turns golden.

Let the cookies cool completely before glazing.

Warm cookies can cause the glaze to run off rather than set nicely.

Yes…I had a little helper decorating these cookies. For a perfect looking cookie, glaze the entire cookie.

For another shortbread cookie recipe, try my 4-Ingredient Ultimate 1-Bowl Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies. Or try another one of my famous Holliday cookie recipe, the Easy Bakery-Style Gluten-Free Ginger Cookie.

shortbread maple cookies decorated for halloween with maple glazed

Serving Suggestions

These maple shortbread cookies are lovely on a fall dessert platter served after Thanksgiving dinner. Pumpkin shapes make them especially fitting for Halloween parties and autumn gatherings.

For a fun family baking activity, let children help decorate the cooled cookies. The designs don’t need to be perfect to make them special.

Storing Gluten-Free Glazed Shortbread Maple Cookies

Room temperature: Store the cooled, glazed cookies in an airtight container for up to 4–5 days, keeping them in a cool, dry place.

Freezing: Freeze the unglazed cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.

Hi, I’m Kristina — I’ve been developing and testing gluten-free recipes in my own kitchen since 2012, with help from my very honest family.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a quick review below, it helps other gluten-free cooks find recipes they can trust. For more, join me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

Gluten-Free Glazed Shortbread Maple Cookies

4 reviews

Published Oct 4, 2020 · Kristina Stosek

Prep Time:: 20 min
Cooking Time:: 13 min
Serves:: 20 - 24

Add a Rating

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 Tbsp. (160 g) Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, one that includes xanthan gum or add 1/2 tsp.

1/2 tsp. Baking soda

1/4 tsp. Sea salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 Tbsp. Coconut sugar or brown sugar

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

3/4 tsp. Pure vanilla extract

MAPLE BUTTER GLAZE

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. milk, at room temperature

2 Tbsp. Pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp. Pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. GF Pure maple extract (optional)

3/4 cup powdered sugar or as needed to reach desired consistency

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt.
Make the dough. Beat the softened butter and coconut sugar until creamy. Mix in the maple syrup and vanilla, then gradually add the flour mixture until a dough forms. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to make it easier to roll and cut.
Cut the cookies. Roll the dough on lightly floured parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into pumpkin shapes or your preferred shapes and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Freeze before baking. Freeze the cut cookies on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Make the brown butter maple glaze. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Remove from the heat, carefully stir in the milk, then add the maple syrup, vanilla, optional maple extract, and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth, adding enough powdered sugar to reach your preferred consistency.
Decorate. Let the glaze cool to room temperature, then decorate the completely cooled cookies. Allow the glaze to set before serving or storing.

Nutrition Info

Estimated Nutrition Summary — 1 cookie (1/24 recipe) - Calories: 110 - Carbohydrates: 14 g - Protein: 0.5 g - Fat: 6 g - Saturated fat: 4 g - Sugar: 9 g - Fiber: 0.2 g - Sodium: 50 mg Estimates include the glaze and may vary depending on the gluten-free flour blend, milk, and amount of powdered sugar used.